Young Gold
by Forge
Summary: When Christian accepts an apprentice he is revived with memories of his past and love at the Moulin Rouge.
1. Brief Laughter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the moulin rouge franchise, as I am not Baz Luerman. Though I do own the two characters of Lana and Glenn! Other than that I don't own anything...really...I live in a cardboard box...I'll wave to you next time you pass by!! :)   
Now that that's taken care of, on with the story! 

         A young golden-haired girl stepped off the train with her two bags.  No one noticed her, she was just another person in this great city, she was nothing to others and they were nothing to her.  Though she was different than others, she hadn't come here for a hope of a new life as of others.  She also didn't come here to see shows or anything of that sort.  Most people went here against friends and families will, though she had come here because of them, though in her own protest.  

She had potential, she knew it, and everyone knew it.  When she wrote something they all saw it.  Her strokes with a pen, or her fingers tapping the keys on a typewriter, people looked at it as a thing of beauty.  Some felt it was a gift, others a promising new career, to her it was a plague.  She hated attention, all she wanted was to blend into the background.  It had always been a dream of hers to write something, anything, that someone, anyone would read and thought it was amazing and thought provoking.  She didn't want attention for it or anything.  That's why she wanted to write something back home in a small town in England.  Though people sensed her talent, and made her come to Paris to train with a professional writer.  He was an amazing writer, he wrote a work much like the one she had wanted to write herself.  He had approved of having her apprentice him.  She should have been happy.  This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and she probably would have taken this chance any other time.  Though she felt it was wrong now.  She just wanted to sit at home and write.  She didn't want to go away from her friends and family.  At least not yet, she still felt she was too young to go and face the world alone.  

         Though suppressing her thoughts for the time being she put on a false smile and walked towards the address she had hastily scribbled on a piece of paper the night before she left.  It was the address to the place she would be staying with her tutor.  He had provided accommodations for her, which she accepted willingly, it was less for her family to spend.  Though she wished she actually knew what to expect, not just the return address she had found on an envelope and wrote on a piece of paper the night before she left.  Her tutor had never even actually told her where to find him.  She of course was worried that he wouldn't be at that address, though as there was nowhere else to go, it made sense.  

         She came to a bad part of the city.  It was under-developed, and some of the buildings appeared to have been out of use for years.  She couldn't believe people would live in such slums.  She finally came to a tall building; it was decorated with advertisements in French that she could barely read.  Times like this made her wish she had paid more attention to her French lessons.  Thoughts raced through her mind, 'this couldn't be the address' and 'why would a renowned author live in such a dump?' She put her thoughts into the recesses of her mind and instead pushed open the door and climbed the stairs to the correct apartment.  

         With barely a knock on the door it was opened a crack, revealing a dashing man looking in his forties.  He had a shaggy beard, and ragged clothes on, looking as though he put his personal health in disregard.  He seemed surprised to see a visitor, he didn't have many, he didn't like people.  Before she could say anything he spat,

         "Alana Matthews?" The young girl could barely nod her head as he flung open the door to let her in.  The apartment was small and quite dirty.  It looked just like him, disregarded.  Before Alana could say anything to him he said, "I'm Christian, your mentor, tutor, professor…whatever you want to call me for the time being, it doesn't matter to me."  Before she could get in a word edgewise he asked another question.  "How old are you?" 

         "Nineteen, I will be turning twenty in September." She diligently replied. 

         "Why did you come here?" He asked again almost cutting her off.

         "To learn, my parents want me to become a proper writer and they think…."

         "But why did _you_ come here?" he asked again.

         "Well…I guess…" Alana was less forward with her reply, as she really didn't know the answer. "Partially because they made me, and partially because I want to learn how to write like you." She finished, though before he could ask another question, she cut in.  "Why all of the questions Christian, if I can call you that…Where am I staying, and why do you live here in the slums?" She spat out all of the questions quite fast.

         Christian gave a brief laugh and paused to think before he replied.  "Some questions must be answered over time, because the recipient or the giver of the questions is either not ready to answer or ask them yet.  You will find out everything you seek before you leave here if you try, otherwise I have nothing more to offer you here than my trust.  I will teach you what I know as long as you are willing to learn and question along the way.  You will be staying in the room to the right of this, I got you your own room, so I won't have to deal with you all of the time.  Here is you key, that is all for today.  Thank you." He said and handed her a small bronze key and pointed out the door.  Her head still spinning with what he said, she turned around and picked her bags up in the doorway and unlocked the adjacent room to set them in there.  Alana still wasn't sure whether to thank him or not.  He had said everything in a tart way that made her feel hurt, though that one ring of brief laughter seemed to set aside her worries.  

         She looked around her room and was surprised to see it wasn't in as much dismal as her strange new teachers.  It seemed pretty clean compared to the rest of the building.  The bed still looked taunt and almost new, the dark green comforter on it only had a few small holes.  The floors matching carpet was only stained in a few places.  She was surprised to see it had three rooms, a bedroom, a sort of living room and kitchen, and a bathroom.  She a few windows, the one in her bedroom was actually quite large.  It seemed her living conditions were okay for the time being.  She opened her curtains and gazed out into the horizon.  She could see a lot of the city; it didn't look quite as dank and ill repaired from this high.  It took her a long time to peel herself from that view and drift into sleep in her new home.


	2. The Old Apartment

         Sunlight tapered across the room through the break in the curtains.  It came to rest on the face of Alana, who shook herself awake.  She didn't want to wake up, though she also didn't want to be late to school.  Finally she fought open her eyes.  She was confused for a minute of where she was, but then realization set in.  She remembered everything, the train ride, the difficult walk here, and the conversation with Christian the night before.  Alana realized she still didn't know anything about Christian, he hadn't really answered any of her questions.  Then one question edged into her mind and she couldn't get rid of it.  'When do I go report for lessons??' She kept asking herself.  He hadn't said anything about schedules.  She looked at the clock on her wall.  It read seven a.m.  She had woken up awfully early.  

         She sat on her bed pondering what time to report in for quite some time.  She finally came to the decision of eight o'clock as that was when she usually had to report for school back in England.  She threw on some clothes and opened the cupboards for something to eat. Once more something Christian had forgotten to take into consideration.  There was no food at all in Alana's apartment.  

         With stomach growling at eight o'clock, she walked next door and knocked lightly.  There was no reply.  She knocked harder, repeatedly.  Finally there was a response:

         "GO AWAY!!!"  Christian yelled from within.  Alana was hungry and angry now.  She felt on the second day that she should not be turned away.  One thing Christian was about to learn about Alana was that she was stubborn.  She continued knocking.  

         "I'm not going to get up, so you might as well stop!" He yelled again.  She continued.  "Fine!! Knock till your hands bleed for all I care!! I'm not going to answer the door."  He yelled after he noticed her knocking was still proceeding.  

         Suddenly it was silent.  It stayed that way.  Christian figured she had finally given up.  So he just rolled over, when suddenly, she knocked again.  This startled Christian mid-roll.  On the other side of the door, Alana heard a loud, THUMP.  She figured Christian had finally gotten up.  After a few seconds, she heard the door click and it opened, revealing a tired, disgruntled Christian on the other side.  

         "What do you want?" He spat at the girl on the other side.

         "What I came here for, and breakfast. Now when are lessons starting?" She asked happily.

         "Later, I'm sleeping at the moment." Christian replied and proceeded to close the door.  Though Alana was too fast for him, and stopped it before he could fully close it.  She shoved it open so hard Christian almost fell over on the other side.  She walked right in and found what appeared to be his kitchen.  It was in large disarray, and it took her a bit to find anything somewhat edible.  Though she rose triumphant from her battle in his kitchen with what appeared to be a muffin.  She turned around and saw Christian with a blank look on his face.  He had no idea what to do about this girl.  

         The whole idea of taking on an apprentice was quite preposterous to him.  He felt that he didn't have enough skill to teach anyone anything.  He had received a lot of letters from hopeful parents many times.  Everyone wanted their dreaming son or daughter to become a rich famous writer like himself.  All of the letters seemed to have an essay written by their youth (it was like someone told all of them that was how they were supposed to submit an application or something).  Many of the girls and boys said they wanted to become writers to tell the world their story, and something like that.  Though he could read right through the lines, all they ever wanted was money.  Most of the parents that wrote him letters were already very wealthy, and promised him large sums.  It was tempting but he turned down every single one.  

         Then finally he got another letter.  It was somehow different.  It was the same type of parents, just wanting their child to succeed.  Though the child herself seemed somewhat despondent to working with him.  In fact the parents wrote that they could not get their daughter to write him something especially for this. So instead they included a short story the girl had written.  It was about a dragon, it was wandering the skies.  It was totally lost, it couldn't find it's way back home though it really didn't care.  It had lost everything it had cared for, it had no life back home, so it was in no hurry to find it's way back.  In some way the dragon wanted to be lost, it didn't want to think about the emptiness of home.  So it preoccupied itself with finding it's way back.  

         The story had made Christian cry.  It reminded him of everything that had happened twenty years ago.  He had still never let go, he still sat in his same apartment, gazing at the turning windmill.  He remembered everything, everything that happened in those short months at the Moulin Rouge.  He could never go back, though he felt he must.  Just like the dragon in the story.  

         A year after Satine died, he had written it all in a novel.  It was his way of venting everything that had happened to him.  Though it did help, he still couldn't get over Satine.  In their short period of time together, Satine had become everything to him, and without her, Christian was lost.  Toulouse helped mend the wounds though.  He even helped the book become published.  He never even saw the initial success though, Toulouse died one year after the novel was written, in 1901.  Christian became lost again, this time he never did find his way back.

         Now he just stood there, staring at the girl eating a muffin in his kitchen.  He couldn't help but hope that maybe this girl could become a friend to him like Toulouse had.  Then maybe he would be able to find his way again.  He had been drifting in the sky for about eighteen years.  It was time for him to come back down, and come back to the life he had left behind.  

         "There's no food in my apartment, I believe you said you would provide room and board, or something to that effect." The girl attempted to say strongly, though really she was still unsure on whether he had said that.  Christian smiled at how the girl said that.  This was the second time he smiled in two days.  Which was strange for him.  But then again, getting up before four p.m. was strange for Christian also.  

         "I'm sorry, I'll be sure to pick up some groceries for you today, or I can just give you the money and you can go shopping on your own Alana."  He told her, reassuring her thought that he had promised food.

         "Call me Lana," the girl said with a smile.  

         "Well, Lana," Christian said trying out the new name, "I was going to let you settle in all of today, and get used to living here.  Though as I'm already up, I say we start lessons today.  Whenever you're ready, I'll be here."  With that he turned to leave, but the girl stopped him mid-turn."

         "Wait."  Lana said, making Christian turn and pay attention to her, "Thank you….for everything.  I know I haven't acted it, but I'm …..well….I really am glad you took me here…and well….." Lana said looking at her feet.

         "Your welcome." Christian said as she trailed off.  With that he turned and walked out of his kitchen, wearing a smile on his face once again.


	3. Bring On The Dark Sky

            Soon enough she was on her way out of he apartment building's door.  After the conversation in the kitchen, he gave her some notes and she set off to buy things to fill up both their cupboards.  She walked and tried to dodge the array of people who filled the street.  She however was deep in thought and bumped into many of them.  She even ran into one boy, making him drop his bag and spill the bags contents onto the street.  She apologized profusely about how moronic and clumsy she was.  He just put on a partial smile that wavered as the other passerby stepped on and destroyed some of the goods he was carrying.  She offered him a few of her own notes in comfort but he just said no quietly.  

            However even with the brief mishaps of the morning she still had a smirk upon her face.  She had stood up for what she had believed in and spoke her mind.  It had gotten her where she was now, outside on her own.  It just reiterated all that she had felt as her view on life.  Lana had always been sure that what you try for you will soon attain.  However she had always felt too shy to truly prove this point.  Thus her values had been shaken lately by what her parents said and with them forcing her into new situations.  

            However she felt herself once again drifting from the task at hand.  Already feeling she had ruined the boy's day she felt the need to pay more attention to her surroundings.  She soon found herself at the market picking out things that she liked to eat, not what her parents chose for her to eat.  Lana was truly enjoying her newfound independence.  For years she had dreamed of escape but had never found the willpower to do so.  She had always been rather pessimistic feeling that even if she did find her escape she would just end up back where she came from.  This proved to her once again that she was truly free.  Feeling for the last time, the crisp notes Christian had given her, she paid for the purchases and began home.  She was incredibly careful remembering the boy's plight.  Once again she was afraid; afraid that if she did not deliver all back to Christian intact that she might lose this small independence she had gained.  

            The sky was a deep blue which was swiftly turning black.  She had begun to ponder all that had happened during the day.  She brought out her journal and began to write all that had gone on in her head.  The independence she had felt. The pride she felt, as she placed the food in her and Christian's kitchen's. Also the pure joy that she received from Christian's gentle smile; which was given when she asked what else needed to be done.  She was told to go and enjoy the rest of the day which she tried to do.  She sat in her new apartment unpacking and daydreaming.  She wanted to just sit and write but felt that it wasn't the right time.  She soon was drawn to her notebooks.  However in the new apartment was filled with chores and ideas.  Soon she found the need to get out of there in order to fully concentrate on her reflection.  That was what led her out of her apartment and onto the roof.  She found a want to see the stars.  She had at first tried the balcony attached to her apartment, however it wasn't equivalent to her needs; she could still see lights and the sounds of the city.  I was too much for her and she had to go to a more secluded place to see the stars.  She wanted to actually see them, like she had in the countryside of England.  Thus she soon found herself drawn to the roof of the apartment building.  All of her fears that she wasn't allowed up there quickly drifted away when she took her first look at the sky.  It was more beautiful then she had imagined back in her room.  She quickly sat down in one of the dry spots of the roof, and released her journal from her bag.  With swift movements of her pen she wrote all that she felt, all that truly encompassed her.  

            Something about the stars just inspired her.  Darkness itself seemed to inspire her as well.  She felt all aspects of her being drifting from her and onto the pages she wrote upon.  She enjoyed every minute of it.  She began writing as a means of losing herself, however now it was so much more.  Not only did she lose herself but she gained many aspects of herself.  Also it helped to dim that deep down sad feeling that she had always seemed to be afflicted with since it happened.


	4. The Last Requirement

            Lana opened her eyes and blinked the sunlight out.  She realized now she should have closed her curtains the night before.  She looked at her watch and it was seven thirty in the morning.  She had woken up early again.  Instead of pounding on Christian's door, she hastily closed her curtains and tried to go back to sleep.  She had just begun to drift into sleep when suddenly she heard a loud thump.  She ignored it and tried to go back to sleep.  It continued, however in her half-awake state she didn't know what it was.  Though once it continued she opened her eyes and looked around.  She then realized that her door was making the sound.  She told herself that doors don't make thumping sounds and so she tried to go back to sleep.  Then much to her dismay the door started saying her name.  She quickly reassured herself that doors can't speak.  However it wouldn't stop.  So she shook her head and sat up. 

            Upon sitting up she realized that someone was knocking at the door.  She was aghast at her stupidity and proceeded to slap her forehead three times.  She opened the door to reveal Christian.  She was quite surprised to see him, and he looked very different. 

            "It's 8:16, lessons begin at 8.  You're late." He said with a smirk on his face. 

            "…but" was all Lana could get out groggily.  Before she knew it the door was shut on her face and she was still confused.  As she threw on some clothes she wondered what was so different about Christian and why he had awoken so early. 

            She looked at her watch as she was about to knock on his door.  It read 8:25.  She was kinda afraid of Christian still and she didn't know what to expect of her first lesson.  She decided to just leave her inhibitions at the door and knock.  With held breath she waited until a voice from inside said "come in."

            Lana was aghast at the sight before her eyes.  The dingy apartment full of junk was gone.  It was now clean and organized.  He had a large rectangular table in the middle of the room with two chairs around it.  The old curtains to the main room had been removed letting light in for what seemed to be the first time in a millennia.  His cupboards were all back on their hinges and seemed to be dusted.  She could even peer into his bedroom which had assumed this new change.  Then her eyes met Christian, which she realized why she had been confused about his appearance before.  He too was now clean.  He had shaven and was wearing a white shirt that appeared to be new as it wasn't stained at all. 

            "Ahem.  You will regard me as 'Professor' during our lesson time.  Lessons begin promptly at 8 am every weekday morning and will end when I decide we are done for that day.  Writing is indeed a difficult art, not one that you can master in a single day.  However it is entirely possible that we will become stuck during each day.  Once I feel I can do no more with you that day, you will be released.  Once I feel I can do no more with you in general, you will be asked to leave promptly.  I will not pay room and board for an unwilling student.  I will also not pay for a late student.  Today you will not be punished as you were not given instructions beforehand.  However, now I expect much more of you.  Also as my student, I expect you to shop for yourself on your own.  You will receive, I hesitate to call it this, an "allowance" until you are able to get a stable income of your own.  You will expect to get one by next week.  Even if you do not, you will be expected to pay for everything besides food and supplies for classes.  So if you want anything else, you are expected to earn it on your own.  The only reason you are even being given food and board isn't due to my offer, but an advance made by your parents.  Once that runs out and they do not send any more money, I will be forced to make you pay for your own food and board yourself."  Christian was pacing.  Lana just leaned against the table taking this in.  Clearly he had no only cleaned his apartment since yesterday, but had written this speech.  He also seemed to have forgotten what else he wanted to say, as he had taken a long pause after his last sentence.  Lana felt this was the time to jump in

            "Uh….how much have my parents given you?  For room and board.."

            "They gave me enough for 5 months.  They said that I should send for more whenever you are in need of funds.  I am however leaving this decision up to you.  You are almost 20 years old, you can either: not work, and leave more time for your writing; or you could get off their income and provide your own.  It is your decision and I personally do not care what you do."

            "alright…" Lana said unsurely, she could see pluses to both, she decided to decide later when the time came to it.

            "Sit." Christian said and pointed her towards the seat at the table.  "You brought your own typewriter, did you not?"  Lana merely nodded, upon seeing this Christian continued, "We will be doing a lot of compositions in this class.  I expect you to type many of your assignments, I will provide paper and ink for your typewriter.  I am also going to give you a notebook in which I expect you to take notes on my daily lectures.  Also I am giving you a journal.  You are expected to write in it every day and turn it in at the end of the week.  This isn't a personal journal, I don't want to hear any of your secrets, or read about your lovers, or anything.  This is mainly just to keep you writing everyday.  You are expected to write at least two pages each day.  One page will solely be on a topic of my choice and the other will be on anything.  Please mark the topic at the top of the page, or that it is your free-writing page.  You can write about anything on that page, about elephants for all I care."

            "uh…."Lana raised her hand a bit like she had always had to in her school in London.

            "What?" Christian asked tartly.

            "Do you want each page to be front and back or just front?" She asked meekly.

            "Just front is fine for each page.  Although if I find that your handwriting is excessively large, I will be forced to up it.

            "Now I just want to lay down a few rules.  If I ever feel I cannot deal with you anymore, you will just be discharged.  I've never taken a student before, and if it's not to my liking, I will get rid of you.  Once you are discharged, I never want to see you again.  So don't piss me off.  My other rule, is that if I don't want to talk about it, or if I don't want to have a lesson; don't push me.  It is my choice whether or not to teach you, you do not get a choice in it.  Also do not come barging into here.  Just because it is lesson time does not give you the right to walk right in here.  I expect you to knock, if there is no answer after you have knocked; lessons for the day are cancelled.  Next rule, if you for any reason get yourself kicked out of this building, I will not be paying board for you anywhere else.  Fourth rule, what I say goes.  If we are working still and you want to go to bed, deal with it.  I am not going to just release you due to your conflicts.  Finally, I expect you to never ask me about my first book."

            Lana was quite confused about his last request, but decided not to challenge it.  She instead just nodded.

            "Good good." Christian said with a small smile on his face.  "Now, let us get started.  Your first journal entry will be about your thoughts on Paris" He was writing on a clipboard he had as he talked.  "Now I assume you brought your typewriter with you today…"

            "uh….well…Christian…" Lana hesitated as she clearly had not brought her typewriter with her.  "I'll just run next door and grab it quickly"

            "During lessons you will refer to me as Professor, Ms. Matthews.  You will not be returning quickly.  You are released for today.  I have no use for a student who doesn't come prepared."

            "but…" Lana stammered as she continued to sit down at the table.

            "I said go.  You will be expected to return here tomorrow on time at 8 o'clock with all the supplies needed.  Now take your supplies I just gave you and go."  With that Christian turned his back on her walked out of the room.  She had nothing more to do than get up and leave.  Once he heard the door slam Christian exhaled a sigh of relief.  He was very afraid of his lesson.  The rules and regulations were his lesson.  He had planned that she would forget her typewriter, in fact he was hoping she would because he didn't actually know what to do with her.  He was making everything up as he went along.  However he had decided the best way to reach her was with discipline.  That's why he had made up a whole plot of rules for her.  He also knew he needed to command respect from her.  That was another reason behind his harshness about her forgetting her typewriter.  He was glad that was over and was just past him.  He was still scared that he was wrong for being harsh, however he decided it truly was the best way.  Mainly he just wanted to stress his last rule.  His greatest fear of this whole apprenticeship was the questions about his first work.  The last thing he wanted to talk about with this girl was Satine.  Even after 20 years he was still afraid to say her name to anyone.


End file.
